At Thelen Audi Bay City, we strive to make your service experience the best we can.
So, our Thelen service and parts teams want to be completely transparent with our customers about the struggles the vehicle repair industry is facing with the ongoing vehicle parts supply chain shortages and the how it is affecting us and our customers. During this time, we completely understand your frustrations and we thank you for your patience and understanding. We will do everything we can to get your vehicle serviced and/or repaired as quickly as possible.
Why is there a parts supply chain shortage?
Part manufacturers have a shortage of raw materials they need to make the parts that are in demand. Plus, there are labor shortages at the factories making the parts. Together these are causing a massive vehicle parts supply chain disruption and shortage.
What does this mean for the vehicle repair/service industry?
This is affecting wait times on repairs drastically. Repairs that would have been done within a day or two, are now taking weeks, some even months, because dealerships can’t keep the parts in stock or get them fast enough.
Can’t the parts just be bought online and not from the manufacturer?
Yes and no. Yes, parts can be bought online. However, if a part isn’t made by your vehicle’s part manufacturer it most likely won’t be covered under your warranty in the future. If the part breaks later on, that could be more costly in the long run. Also, many car repair shops are now buying this way and there are only so many parts to go around.
What does this mean for me if I need my vehicle repaired?
Patience and understanding are appreciated when parts are ordered for your vehicle repair. As soon as the parts arrive for your vehicle we will contact you right away and get your vehicle in as soon as our schedule allows.
Why are service appointments being scheduled weeks out?
Before the parts supply shortage, parts were normally on hand or one to two days away, when a vehicle needed repaired. This resulted in only one appointment needed to get the vehicle fixed. Now, since most parts aren’t in-stock, two appointments are needed. The first appointment, to access the issue to find what needs repaired and what parts are needed and the second after the parts arrive to make the needed repairs. This is causing a bottleneck with many repair shops. Thus, many repair shops are scheduling appointments weeks out. Some other dealers in the area have even stopped taking new customer altogether.
Here at Thelen Auto Group we will always make sure to get you in at the earliest appointment and as soon as we are able to have adequate time needed to make the repairs your vehicle needs.
Why am I not updated about my parts and when they are expected to arrive?
Simply put, the ETA we receive from the manufacturer is only an Estimated Time of Arrival, which in today’s atmosphere is incorrect. The shipping times are sporadically changing on a day-to-day basis. So, that same part ordered today stating that it will be here next week, could change tomorrow stating 2-3 weeks out or more. We contact the customer upon the part arrival at the dealership, because that is the only date we can be 100% accurate on at this time.
As soon as parts arrive at Thelen we contact the customer to let them know and to get them scheduled in for repairs at the earliest appointment time. Thank you for your patience!